Christmas Challenge and Winners

Thursday 15th, December, I made again a special class for Christmas. This time, it was a challenge and as such was announced:

REDHEAD CHRISTMAS: ARE YOU READY FOR A TEST FROM AURYN BEORN?
Everybody is welcome to stay and watch! But...

PREREQUISITES: (Hold your breath!)

• Building LVL 2
• Basic Scripting for Builders
• QAvimator (poses)
• Sit Target Helper
• Animated Textures
• Particles
• Music!
• Rokuro & Tokoroten
• SculptCrafter (the demo will be enough if you don't own a full version)
• ... and your imagination!

(Students from "Speaking LSL" might have an extra challenge)

Christmas is here! And the naughty elves from North Pole have stolen ALL the supplies from this class! Help Auryn Beorn to recreate all the supplies and remember which were the parameters for her prims!

She only remembers some riddles and is trying to tread a story to recover her memories.

Can you help Auryn in this?
Then join this multidisciplinary class, where you'll learn how to put together all your skills when it comes to develop a real project.

Those who will complete the whole project without assistance and being lag-wise will get a special prize.

The challenge was to build this:


and yes, students had to make everything: the sculpties, the poses, the effects, the scripts (and modify other). Everything.

Students started building the snowglobe. Some sculpted the base, others used regular prims for it.


Then, they started building the log cabin that later had to be sculpted and shrunk, to fit within the snowglobe.


Different tools were used here, from the proposed SculptCrafter to Prim Generator... And even Blender! (first winner used Blender to make it sculpted and still she made the prim version.)




Houses! Many got this done and didn't continue.


Then the fountain, the effects... Last part finally arrived, when students had to create the six poses I was showing.


Few students got to the last part, creating and setting the poses!


It was an exhausting challenge that lasted more than five hours! That's one more reason to be proud of those who endured until the end.

My ISP kicking me for hours from this, 15 minutes before the time was over, didn't prevent that I could evaluate the builds from those who achieved to make it all.

And these are the winners, in order:

eithne Blaylock


(her scripting was minimal and her house is awesome!, only five prims, way to go!)

Elisaveta Vasser



Well done!

I'm very proud of the two of you by having finished it, accomplishing all the goals that were said at class. Low prim, low script, full of details and effects.

Then I've received one more submission, and although the creator didn't meet all the prerequisites, she for sure struggled to do her best with the knowledge she currently has. It's for this reason, for she not giving up and doing her best, why I'm also giving credit to the work from Lita Christenson. Good work!


And, as it was promised, they have received a gift!

I got ready this:


Choose among three poses, and the ballerina will mirror you.

I think I might continue working in this item, adding more poses to it, in the future. This one won't be for sale: it's an exclusive gift for my students, able of finishing the whole challenge, or struggling to do their best with the knowledge they have. Thank you for having made this possible.

And now they want more challenges! This can be FUN!

Second Libations - Revisited

As I was telling here, "Second Libations" is the sim exhibition at LEA from Haveit Neox, an artist that I've had the privilege to meet while teaching.

I've had time for a second visit, and now I have more pictures from it! \o/

View from one of the main builds:


Neat effect to make appear a reflection in a mirror as you approach and move:


The siren, reflected:


In the Lybrarinth:


Centaur waiting for us going down the water:


The sirens show you the way:


And under the water, this is what is waiting for you:






This second visit inspired me to write a little story that I sent to Haveit and is now also a part of this exhibit, wow!



Really, don't miss it! December will be gone before we realize, and you'll hate having missed this one!





An interview with Haveit in PrimPerfect

Second Libations

"Second Libations" is the sim exhibition at LEA from Haveit Neox, an artist that I've had the privilege to meet while teaching.

During this month we have the chance to get immersed in a futuristic story where robots try to bring life back to the humans that controlled them.

These are two pictures I could take during the opening, conducted by Haveit, when he explained the story behind his exhibition. I can't wait for another chance to explore again the whole exhibit, it's an amazing job that makes you feel immersed in this world he built.





Don't miss it!

It truly is an astonishing work, worth it a visit... or more.

Life is all about change

And here's an impending one...



That's not all.

Tomorrow, 9 AM SLT, SL Christmas Expo is open to the public. I'm proud to announce that my store will be there. I've just finished setting all a couple of hours ago. See you there!

Quick Update

This is crazy, I know, but together with the rush of having my store ready for the SL Christmas Expo, I'm also moving my store to a new location... including building the new commercial block.

Very soon I'll say goodbye to Trevelyan, where I've stayed for more than a year. I've already closed the small store and left only the main one. It's going to be crazy to update EVERYTHING in the boxes with the new landmark, but I think, I hope, the change is going to be worth it.

Also, getting ready for the SL Christmas Expo has made me finish items that were kind of in an oubliette, so I'll announce more news in the store than usual, most likely, this weekend.

Once more, stay tuned!

New tools!

I know, I'm always busy.

That's why I'm now so proud of introducing two new tools. One is aimed to instructors and the other one, for builders: a presenter and a multi-door/drawers/lids tool.

So go check the following link, don't miss the news!

Check the Store Blog for news

More news, hopefully, very soon.

Picky note

If you write this in your code:

if(isOpen == TRUE)
{
    myOpenDoor();
}
else if(isOpen == FALSE)
{
    myCloseDoor();
}

you don't understand what logic is about.

Luna

Sometimes one can feel what it's about to happen. That drove me to write this a few months ago. First in Spanish (original that just a few-few have seen), then I translated it and the result is as follows.

Click here for the story, published in The Night Corner

News in the store

It's taken me some time, but finally I've been able of finishing some sets and books I was working into (updated and new ones), prepare the corresponding Marketplace packages, update the listings and the store blog.

So all the news this time are:

• "Particles" and "Music!" classes got updated to the new book format, with more examples, explanations and tips.
• My deskplace, a nice furniture arrangement to work or simply spend some time reading webpages.
• The medium-advanced scripting book on Notecards, which finishes creating a whole game that also reads an access configuration from notecard.
• White bathroom, another set that for sure will look good at your place.
• SculptCrafter: The Basics. All what you need to know to begin working with this great inworld tool.

Exhausted, but happy, I've finally been able of closing all these projects the last two days! ^_^

"Wrong viewer"? You can still make your megaprims!

Copying from the notice I've sent to the Builders Brewery group:

Even if your viewer does not support yet the ability to create the new megas that are now available in the RC servers (the regions running mesh software, which you can check in Help: About in your viewer), a simple script, attached to this notice, will help you.

Edit the script, change x, y, z with the values you want for the size up to 64 meters, save it, and drop it into your prim. The script will do the work for you. These new megas will work in ANY sim when your rez them. Spread the love!

-- Auryn

If you still don't have that script, you have two options: one, ask me for a free copy! (specially if you're not sure on how to create a script on your own), another, copy yourself the following in a script:

// Megaprim! (auxiliary script if your viewer doesn't support custom size megaprims yet)
// Fill in x, y, z with the values you need for your prim. They should be less or equal than 64.


float   x = 32.72;
float   y = 21.12;
float   z = 6.64;

/*

Even if your viewer does not support yet the ability to create the new megas that are now available in the RC servers (the regions running the software for mesh, which you can check in Help: About in your viewer), a simple script, attached to this notice, will help you.

Edit the script, change x, y, z with the values you want for the size, *up to 64 meters*, save it, and drop it into your prim. The script will do the work for you. These new megas will work in ANY sim when your rez them. Spread the love!

Auryn Beorn

*/

default
{
    state_entry()
    {
        llSetPrimitiveParams([PRIM_SIZE, <x, y, z>]);
        llRemoveInventory(llGetScriptName());
    }
}

Spread the love! 64 m³ megaprims are here! YAY!

(And thanks SO MUCH, Graham, for the help on polishing this text ^_^ )

No words

If I'm asked what's the most romantic experience I've ever lived in SL, without a doubt, I have an answer.

What made this picture to be alive:

I simply have no words, but a song.

Granting Permission Debit? Know Some Facts

No matter which life we live, scammers and other people wanting to take our money are out there.

In Second Life®, the ways to have money extracted from our account are:

• We buy something when an object is set for sale (it's okay, we all are aware of when we buy something)
• We pay money to another avatar (something from what we're also aware of)
• We pay money to an object scripted to receive money (we're aware for this too, since nobody forces us to click "Pay..." and then hit the quantity)
• We buy through Marketplace (still... we're aware of this, aren't we? ;-) )
• Group liabilities (which we should check for the groups we join)
• An object takes money from our account. Ruh-roh. This one sounds like "and how can this happen?"

For the latter happening, we have to complete the following steps:

• Rez that object inworld
• Grant debit permission from the BIG yellow popup with a scary warning

Since granting access to our money is serious business, this popup is much more noticeable than the usual granting animation permission in a club. We will see it.

So until we complete the two steps (rez inworld, THEN gran debit permission), an object can't take money from our account. In this sense, we're relatively safe: just by accepting an object an stranger sends us, the object WON'T take money from our accounts. No while in inventory. It has to be rezzed, and the big yellow popup, granted the permissions.

Still, it's a good idea to delete an object mistakenly accepted from a total stranger the moment we've accepted it, for a reason: we forget things.

We can forget we accepted the object.

We can be cleaning inventory and find it.

The object might have an innocent name, like "Official Linden Labs Balance Checker (rez to check)". We're curious and rez it. Big yellow pop up appears and we accept: we're busted.

Ok, here's a fact: no Linden Labs employee will ever give you an object to check your balance. Even more, this feature is built in in your viewer. How to access it? Well, if you don't have your advanced menu open, do it now (CTRL ALT D), and then you can click CTRL ALT B to get your balance reloaded, or follow the menu "Advanced: UI: Reload L$ balance". There you have it: balance updated.

What could happen, then, if we rez this object with an innocent name as "Official Linden Labs Balance Checker (rez to check)"?

The object could tell us in chat a reassuring thing like "This device will check if you have your L$ balance updated. Please grant permissions to check it. The device will get self-deleted as soon as you're informed."

And what could an evil scripter make the script do once we've GRANTED debit permissions?

Begin saying in chat something like "Your balance is correct. Deleting the object, thank you!"

A reassuring message. And the object vanishes. We can breath, it's all okay!

Is it?

Want to know what an evil scripter could have done?

The object, totally transparent.

Resized to minimum size allowed in SL.

Moved it to another position in the sim, 200 meters far from you in a random direction.

Changed its name to "Phoenix Client Bridge" or simply "Object".

And take 1 L$ from your account each 2 minutes.

And now go find the object.

But still, if we're online we'd notice that something's happening with our money.

An even more evil scripter would add sauce, and instead of taking money on a timer basis, would make the script wait for us to be offline and THEN take 1 L$ each second. Or 100 L$ each second. If we're offline, we'd only realize once we're back... and our account is drained.

And an even more evil scripter could make the object to scan from avatars and run away from you anytime you're 96 meters close to it. So what a trip, to find it!

The only information we can obtain is, in our transaction history (log in the SL website, then go to Account: Transaction History):

• When
• The region name
• Who's been receiving the money.

But it doesn't say where exactly. And if we complain to Linden Labs, if they reply back something, it will be "did you grant permissions?"

TIP: Requesting granting permissions requires from a script existing within the object. You can try to help yourself by using "View: Beacons" and click for "Scripted Objects".

All this is very important to know because commission vendors will also request us for debit permission, so they can pay the percentage back. There are also tip jars that will need from debit permission since they split payment between the employer and the employee. So check always that the object comes from a trusted source!


So, moral is: objects can't take money from our accounts until rezzed and debit permission granted, correct. It's OUR responsibility, then, to know the facts, and be sure when we say "GRANT". If we don't remember where the object comes from, DON'T GRANT. Even more: DELETE it. And remember that no Linden Labs employee will ever trick you to take money from you. Know your tools and check the sources for the objects you grant debit permissions!

That was it. Stay safe :-)

PS: This article has also been published in the builders community website Primbusters.

Random Build Off

From time to time there are building competitions at Builders Brewery. This weekend it's been the "Random Build Off", organized by a friend and a good friend of him. There's been four heats. They sent a different sculpted prim to each heat, and people had to build with them... Well, whatever they felt fancy.

Being busy with orders as usual, I've not been able but to, fortunately, see the displays with the end results. It was quite an spectacle to be at the sandbox.


Then one of the builds has caught my attention.

It was a strange woman, almost dramatic, looking herself in the mirror.



What a surprise when I've checked the creator and seen it was also a friend!


Well done! It really provokes a feeling, which is more than just see a build. I've loved it, in all its weirdness.

And of course, thanks Graham and Bethi, for this idea. I can't but imagine how complicated is going to be to choose a winner. Good luck all!

Voice! (2)

And... I've done it!

Yesterday, partly pushed by a friend, I dared to give my first voice class (Sculptcrafter/The basics). Since all my classes have been text, there was no problem to catch up, as everything was also said in text chat, but, wow! I had forgotten how good I feel when I'm giving a RL-class. My spoken English is not exactly perfect, but looks like everybody was able to understand me, which is the important. I promise I'll keep practicing.

I'm so happy for this!

The only bad side for all this is that I can't tell anymore my students that in RL I'm a man :o) (they never believed me, anyway).

Voice!

Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered... I've finally been able to make my voice work in SL! Yay!

Will go into mixed voice & text classes from now on, as far as the class itself recommends this mixed style (like the QAvimator course). At least, now I can do it!

You know that you need a break...

... when you request SALT a 6 x 0.5 x 6 megaprim.

And... Sculptcrafter!

Sculptcrafter is back at Builder's Brewery as a part of my "Builder's Series" classes (at least, while Leslie is offline). So if you're curious about the tool and want to join, I'll be teaching this in three classes (different levels) each two weeks.

This week is a bit special (apart from yesterday's session, there will be another on Thursday) because the tool was not taught for months, but as soon as everything comes back to normal, it will be offered each two weeks.

Class was limited to 20 people, but oh well...






It seems that as long as there's space, everybody joins (the sim got full... again).

Come join! Sculpting blocks, made easy (last picture shows closer the samples I prepared to teach what we can achieve with this tool).

Doors... And Sculptcrafter coming Monday

I was not sure about what people could expect from a series like this. But it seems I'm following the right way, so this is useful for builders. "Texture change via menu", builders edition, caught important attention. "One Script... To Rule my Doors" (a tool I promised)... well, just look at the pictures...





Once more, the sim was full, and more people attending than available seats.

And next week, one of the "hits": Sculptcrafter. This time, from me. Monday at 2 PM SLT, and Thursday at 3:30 PM SLT.

Hope to see you there.